Stringed musical instrument with movable bridge



L.. R. cRosBY STRINGED MUSICAL INSTRUMENT WITH MovABLE BRIDGE Aug. I3, 1957 Filed sept. 7. 1954 m mw kN mm mm XWPN w Wm. N.

xbum, Mw

United States Patent O STRINGED MUSICAL INSTRUMENT WITH t MOVABLE BRIDGE Laurel R. Crosby, Lexington, Ky.

Application September 7, 1954, Serial No. 454,261

Claims. (CI. 84-1.16)

This invention relates to a musical instrument, and more particularly to a stringed musical instrument.

The object of the invention is to provide a musical instrument which includes a plurality of strings that are adapted to beY picked to provide a melodic and pleasing sound, there being a manually operable means for accurately tuning the instrument.

Another object of the invention is to provide a musical instrument that is adapted to be played by holding the instrument in front of the player in the same manner as a guitar or similar string instrument and wherein different notes or chords can be obtained by holding the fingers of one hand on the neck of the instrument between certain of the frets and then striking the strings with a pickvat a diierent location on the instrument.

A further object of the invention is to provide a musical instrument which is extremely simple and inexpensive to manufacture.

Other objects and advantages'will be apparent during the course of the following description.

v In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this application, and in which like numerals are used to designate like parts throughout the same:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the musical instrument, constructed according to the present invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the musical instrument of the present invention.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4 4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a view showing the tuning scale of the strings.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the numeral 1 designates the body of the musical instrument which may be made of a solid piece of hardwood, and the body 1 includes a head 2, a neck 63, and a widened portion 64. The instrument further includes a plurality of winding keys 3, 4, 5 and 6, Figure 1, while the numerals 7, 8, 9 and 10 'designate the winding key pegs on top of the head for holding the strings. The numerals 11 and 12 designate the gear box for the keys, and arranged at the top of the neck 63 is a bracket or nut 13 which is secured in place by means of a screw' 14. The numerals 15 through 32 inclusive designate steel frets, while the numerals 33, 34 and 35 designate marking frets which may be made of inlaid pearl.

The musical instrument of the present invention further includes four strings 36, 37, 38 and 39, and arranged below the strings and mounted in a suitable recess in the widened portion of the body member 1 is a pick-up unit 40 of conventional construction, and the pick-up unit 40 may be of the magnetic type. An electric cord 41 leads from the pick-up unit 40 to a suitable amplifier which may be of conventional construction.

There is further provided a movable frame or base which is indicated by the numeral 42, and the base 42 may be made of wood, A handle 43 is secured to the ICC base 42 for manually sliding or shifting the base 42, and the handle 43 is secured to the base by means of a screw or bolt 44 which projects upwardly from the bottom of the base. A sliding bridge 45 is secured to the vbase 42 by screws or bolts 46 and 47, and the bridge 45 may be made of metal such as steel, the bridge 45 engaging the upper surface of the strings 36 through 39. For slidably supporting the base 42, a pair of plates 48 and 49 are provided, and the plates 48 and 49 may be made of wood. Each of the plates 48 and 49 is provided with an inner recess or groove 65 for slidably receiving therein tongues 66 which extend from the longitudinal edges of the base 42. Screws 50, 51, 52, and 53 are provided for securing the side plates 48 and 49 to the body 1 of the musical instrument. A stationary steel bridge 54 is secured to the body of the instrument by suitable screws 55, and the stationary steel bridge 54 engages the undersurface of the strings 36 through 39.

There is further provided a steel tailpiece 56 which holds the ends of the strings 36 through 39, and the tailpiece 56 may be secured to the body of the instrument by means of suitable securing elements such as screws 57. A phone-type plug 58 is arranged on an end of the electric cord 41 for engagement with the amplier.

A portion of the base 42 is inclined or tapered as at 59, and the undersurface of the base 42 is further tapered as at 60, and these tapered undersurfaces provide suffi` cient clearance for the strings when the bridge or base 42 is manually moved by means of the handle 43.

From the foregoing it is apparent that there has been provided a musical instrument which includes a body that is made of one piece of solid material such as hardwood. The instrument includes the four strings'36 through 39 and is played by holding the instrument in front of the player in the same manner as a guitar or similar stringed instrument is played. Different notes and chords are obtained by holding the lingers of the left hand on the neck 63 of the instrument between the frets 15 to 32 inelusive and then the strings are struck with a pick above the pick-up 40. There is further provided the sliding bridge or base 42 which can be moved back and forth for a distance of about two inches while the instrument is being played to give the effect of half tones or sliding notes similar to a trombone or steel guitar. The bridge 45 is in contact with the strings 36 through 39 to change the tone as the player desires. It will be seen from the drawings that there is a slight rise in the side plates 48 and 49 in order to give the correct tension of the bridge 45 against the strings 36 to 39 when moved. The base 42 and bridge 45 are moved by means of the handle 43 and the tongue and groove arrangement shown in Figure 4 provides the sliding connection between the moving parts.

The instrument of the present invention has a different tone or sound from any other instrument and the chords and notes used in playing are very similar to a tenor banjo. However, the range of the chord only covers one octave in comparison to a tenor banjo and other similar string instruments which have a two octave range on most single chords. Also, the instrument is easy to play and has a beautiful tone which is made possible by the solid construction and can be played with any combination of other musical instruments or can the played by itself or when accompanying another person. Also, the instrument will varry the sound after the chord or note is played if the player desires and the tuning arrangement enables the instrument to have effective rhythm and bass and also carry the melody when played as a single instrument. The tapered surface 59 and the tapered surface 60 provide sutcient clearance for the strings as the bridge 45 moves.

The bottom of the instrument may be cut away or Patented Aug. 13, 1957V 3 recessed as at 61, while the intermediate portion of the instrument merges with an end of the instrument through the aring sides 62.

The type of strings used on the instrument and the tuning arrangement Vane ,one of .the most important features of .the present invention and are as important or more important than the size or' shape of `the instrument. Thus, the type Vof strings and tuning arrangement will :be used to identify the instrument. In Figure 5 there is shown the tuning scale ofthe strings.

I claim:

1. In a musical instrument, a body .member including a head on one end Athereof and Ya widened portion kon the other end thereof, a plurality .of rotary pegs projecting from said head, winding keys `for rotating said pegs, a plurality of spaced parallel `frets mounted in said body member, a plurality of strings each having an end connected to said pegs, an electric pick-up unit mounted in said body member below said strings, a frame including a pair of spaced parallel side plates secured to said body member, each of said plates being provided with an inner groove, a base having tongues slidably positioned between said plates and engaging said grooves, a tailpiece connected .to an end of said body member and engaging an end .of said strings, a movable metal bridge secured to the undersurface of said base and engaging the upper surface of said strings, and a stationary metal bridge secured to said body member and engaging the undersurface of said strings.

2. The apparatus as described in claim 1, and further including a handle secured to said base for manually moving the base.

3. T he apparatus as described in claim 1, and further including an electric cord extending from said pick-up unit and adapted to be connected to an amplifier.

4. A musical instrument comprising a one piece solid body member including a head, a neck and a widened portion, a plurality of frets mounted in said body member, an electric pick-up mounted in said body member and adapted to be connected to an amplifier, a plurality of strings extending longitudinally along said body member, and a movable base having a bridge engaging said strings.

5. In a musical instrument, comprising a body member embodying a head on one end thereof vand a widened portion on the other end thereof, the bottom of said body member being recessed, the intermediate portion of said body member merging with an end of the instrument through flaring sides, a plurality of rotary pegs projecting from said head, winding keys for rotating said pegs, a plurality of spaced parallel metal frets mounted in said body member, a plurality of spaced apart strings each having an end connected to said pegs, a movable frame including a pair of spaced parallel side plates secured to said body member, there being a slight taper in said side plates to give the correct tension against the strings, each of said plates being provided with an inner groove, a base having tongues slidably positioned between said plates and engaging said grooves, a portion of said base being inclined and tapered to provide clearance for the strings when the base `is moved, a metal tailpiece connected to an end of said body member and engaging an end of said strings, a movable metal bridge secured to the under-surface of said base and engaging the upper surface of said strings, a stationary metal bridge secured to said body member `and engaging the undersurface of said strings, and a handle secured to said base for manually mov-ing the base.

References Cited in the le .of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 770,864 Kolander v Sept. 27, 1904 2,557,754 Morrison June 19, 1951 2,573,254 Fender Oct. 30, 1951 2,612,541 Armond Sept. 30, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 388,273 Germany Jan. 15, 1924 

